Friday, March 18, 2011

It was the week of Christmas when I received an early morning phone call from one of our staff members, Linda. Her foster guinea pig, Zelda, who we had all suspected was pregnant when she arrived at HSSV, proved us right with three little babies appearing overnight. The little ones were up and running around right after being born, as guinea pigs, otherwise known as cavies, come out with their eyes open and fully covered in fur. Relieved the birth had gone well, we knew had 4 weeks to wait until they could be placed up for adoption. A month may seem like a short time with Mom, but guinea pigs develop very fast and females can get pregnant at just four weeks of age!

The first few times Irene and Kevin stopped by our Saratoga satellite adoption center in PETCO looking for cavies we didn’t have any available. We knew Zelda’s babies were coming up for adoption soon and set up an appointment for Irene and Kevin to meet the piglets and Mom. The first-time owners purchased a large 2X4 chloroplast enclosure for their new arrivals and began the task of choosing which two would come home with them. They decided on two little girls, which they named Fenrir (Kevin’s choice) and Quark (Irene’s pick). Since their foster Mom happened to be their adoption counselor, Kevin and Irene learned not just about guinea pig care but a full overview of the girls’ upbringing.A few weeks after the adoption, we received an email from the new pig parents. They are enjoying watching the girls grow up and develop their own personalities. Quark is more friendly but a little slower than her clever sister. Fenrir may be more picky about who she makes friends with but both guineas have begun to bond with their people. And don’t worry about their Mom. Soon after Fenrir and Quark were adopted, Zelda and her last baby Tokyo were placed separately in wonderful homes looking to add a second pig.

Are you are looking to adopt a guinea pig? Get started by submitting an online adoption survey for pocket pets and our Satellite staff will get you started down the right path for pig parenting. For more information on how guinea pigs make great companion animals check out this PDF on guinea pig care.